Softening water for household purposes.



.l. QUIRK.

SOFTE-NING WATER FOR HOUSEHOLD PURPOSES.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 26, 1915- Pa-tented May 23, 1916.

Tim COLUMBIA Puuwuw 'vl 10.. wumum-nu n c JAMES QUIIRK, OIE BATH,ENGLAND.

SOFTENING WATER FOR HOUSEHOLD PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed May 26, 1915. Serial No. 30,566.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES QUIRK, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, and resident of Bath, county of Somerset, England, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in and Relating toSoftening Water for Household Purposes, for which I have madeapplication for a patent in Great Britain, No. 13,525, filed June 8,1914, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to softening water for household purposes beforeit is drawn off from the main tank or cistern for use. To effect suchsoftening it has been proposed to divide the service supply into twoparts, the one part which is treated with a suitable reagent, afterwardmixing with the other part or hard water, the mixed water then beingfiltered. In this connection float valves have been employed to controlthe service supply, and also valves or cocks have been used to controlthe quantity of water delivered to the softening tank and to thecistern, and also sludge cocks have been provided for cleaning purposesin said softening tank.

The present invention has for its objects the improved combination andarrangement of parts, the means for distributing the hard water and theimproved means for controlling the service supply as hereinafterdescribed.

The accompanying sheet of diagrammatic drawings illustrates the mannerof carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a view partly in section of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 is avertical section of the float valve controlling the service suply. pLike letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, water before it reaches the main tank orcistern a from service pipe I) has to pass the float valve 0 and thenceby way of conveyor pipe (1 to a separating device e, which device 6consists of a T-shaped member having a central division plate f whichcauses part of the water from pipe d to pass by pipe g into the tank Itin which-is a strong harmless alkaline solution, said pipe 9 beingclosed at the bottom and provided at its lower end with a series ofperforations. The water now softened passes from tank h (which may beprovided with a cover It) by way of the branch pipe 2' to the T-piece jwhere it meets with and automatically mixes with the hard water comingfrom the separating device 6 by way of pipe is, controlled by valve 70'.

In some cases the solids or crystals in the alkaline tank may be held bya wire gauze or like cylinder and the water supply pipe from the floatvalve discharge into said wire gauze or like cylinder. The mixed andsoftened water then passes by filter intake pipe Z to the bottom of thestraining and filtering tank m and traveling upward overflows into themain tank or cistern (6, from whence it is drawn off: for use by thepipes n. The overflow pipe 0 from the main tank or cis tern a is inpractice arranged about one inch above the top of the filtering andstraining tank m, the top of which is at about an inch and a quarterabove the level of the water in the main tank or cistern, said tank onbeing supported within the main tank or cistern in any suitable manner.

To regulate the water flowing into and out of the softening tank It, avalve 9 is interposed in the pipe 9 leading from the separating device6, which device a equalizes the flow of both pipes g and is, so thatwhen the water in the main tank or cistern a is nearly to its top level,the water only dribbles in.

To enable the filtering and straining tank m and softening tank It to beperiodically cleaned, a suitable arrangement of unions [0 is employed sothat the various pipes and said tanks 72, and m may be disconnected,allowing the removal of said tanks h and m, the tank 7:, being providedwith an overflow pipe 1" extending into the main tank or cistern a tothe bottom of the filter tank m, said overflow only acting in the caseof stoppage of the pipe 2'. To regulate the flow of hard water from theservice pipe I) to the uptake or conveyer pipe (Z, there is provided thefloat valve 0 which consists of a vertically disposed T-shaped member,to the top of which the nipple end of the service pipe I; is connected,while the lower end of said uptake pipe d is connected to the horizontalbranch of the T-shaped member. Located below the nipple of the pipe 5and carried by a rod 8 is a metal cup 25 provided with a rubber or otherpad u adapted as the float '0, which is carried by the lower end of therod 8, rises to contact with the nipple of the pipe 6 and shut off thesupply. The rod .9 passes through a guide tube to and through a suitablestufling box 00 at the lower end of the Lin member 0, and to keep themovement of the float e, which is hollow, steady and noiseless, saidfloat v is provided with a central and vertical passage or tube y,allowing water to rise therein up to the level of the softened water inthe main tank or cistern.

it is a valve-controlled waste pipe leading from the bottom of thesoftening tank /2, to the overflow pipe 0 of the main tank a, so thatany sediment or the like can be drawn off from said tank It.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus forsoftening water, consisting of a main storage tank, a service pipe, asoftening tank, and a filtering and straining tank, said filtering andstraining tank being located interior of the main tank, while thesoftening tank is arranged exterior thereof and separate therefrom, asupply pipe having means for separating and equally distributing liquidto said softening and filtering tanks, and a float valve located Copiesof this patent may be obtained for interior of the main tank and havingthe valve chamber thereof connected to said service pipe, means forregulating the flow from said softening tank, means to enable any wasteor sediment to be drawn ofi' from the softening tank, and means toprevent the flooding of the softening tank.

2. An apparatus for softening water comprising a cistern, a servicepipe, a conveyer pipe communicating with said service pipe, a valvebetween the service and conveyer pipes controlled by the level of liquidin the cistern, a softening tank communicating with said conveyer pipe,an intake pipe projecting into the cistern and communicating with saidsoftening tank and conveyer pipe, and a filtering tank at the end ofsaid intake pipe and located within the cistern.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

- JAMES QUIRK. In witness whereof:

E. J RUssnLL, H. Woons.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. C.

